Rainier Valley Garden Tour-Success!

We have now finished the first annual Rainier Valley Garden Tour. It was a lot of fun. I helped organize it with a few other very dedicated people and I enjoyed the process a lot.
There was a steady flow of people throughout the day visiting our garden. People seemed to enjoy it very much and they all had nice things to say about the whole tour. One great aspect of it was that I finished all my chores right when it started and then I declared myself free. My dad explained to me that when he has done an event such as this he keeps coming up with ideas that will make it better throughout the day so that by the time he has it all ready it's over! That didn't sound like fun at all so I tried to be completely ready to host when it started. I was able to hang out with my Dad, Brother, Wife and Daughter all day with out working on projects around the house or garden.
The garden looked great and I received many excited visitors which is so much fun.
I wrote up a brief garden history which was intended to help people understand the design of the garden and the way it went from all lawn in 2006 to what it is today.
Rainier Valley Garden Tour 2009

Design Process
The first requirement for this garden was available planting beds. The house we had been renting was going to be developed so all our plants had to be moved. I started digging for a new bed next to the concrete driveway and quickly found all the old fill for the old driveway. I changed plans and planted the slope leaving room for the new gravel driveway. I got all the rocks that are holding the slope back for free from a neighbor. Along the house side of the driveway I found old pavers behind the garage to use as a path. I dug out the side of the garage and created a nursery area in a space that was completely closed off and sheding water onto the garage. The kitchen garden started only two years ago and is still a work in progress.

The master plan for the garden took about a year to develop. It breaks the garden into 4 zones, each having a set maintenance schedule and aesthetic vs. functional balance.

Zone Maintenance
Zone 1: Pots and Kitchen garden- Daily
Zone 2: Main borders- Weekly
Zone 3: Street side borders- Every two months
Zone 4: Back slope- Two times per year

Helpful strategies:
Recognizing needs
Being flexible with plans
Using available resources
Matching plans to lifestyle

Ready or Not?

What should you NOT do right before hosting a garden tour?

1)Tear all the gutters and old fascia boards off your house to prepare for a new roof.
2)Remove your chimney and store all of the busted masonry in your driveway.
3)Dig up a 7x3 foot section of lawn and lift it up 4 inches.
4)All of the above.

Well I managed to get into all of these projects just in time. I didn't think about it until I was lifting up the lawn section at 3 o'clock Wednesday afternoon in about 90 degree heat. It crossed my mind that it might look like I laid sod down in strips so I stuffed the cracks with dried grass from raking. The lawn has not been watered other than where Lila's pool is and we try to move that around fairly often.

The roses are coming back into full bloom just in time. One of my favorites is Dapple Dawn. It is a beautiful single pink rose that flowers most of the season, kind of loose open flowers. And of course the lovely Sally Holmes, a blushed pink single flower in huge bunches covering the shrub.

I do plan on having the place cleaned up for the Rainier Valley Garden Tour this weekend so please stop by and take a look!
See you on Saturday!

Gregory Smaus

Native Root Designs
sustainable garden management, design, and exploration...
206.227.4458
www.nativerootdesigns.com

Summer thinking

August 10th 2009
Just under two weeks until the Garden Tour. The rain came and wet the earth nicely. Thirsty roots in hard clay soil waiting patiently through our hottest days on record. There is no irrigation system that is adequate when it gets that hot and dry for so long. A couple of good soakings with the hose help immensely to water the back sides of shrubs and in between spaces that the irrigation doesn't reach. The rain came last night, so by 8 pm tonight the ground was perfect to go and weed. Nice and moist but not saturated, dandelions coming up with nearly full roots in the loose soil. I used the evening as a chance to go at the Morning Glory along my fence line again. That is the second time this year but I should have done it two weeks ago. It is very good at wrapping around stems so tight you pull a plant apart just while trying to get the morning glory off of it. My next strategy will be to plant larger shrubs and small trees so they won't get covered up so quickly and they will be easier to free. The best method is to cut the Morning Glory vines every 12 inches or so along the stems of other plants so that you can pull it off in sections without stripping the leaves off or breaking the preferred plant.
Soon I will be getting around to cutting most of the burned foliage out of the garden. Despite watering fairly consistently I ended up with many burned plants. The plants I put in about a month ago have done very well with regular watering and all the sun and heat. The garden will be a good representation of a Seattle August garden. The Asters are just getting started and most of the Fuschia's have come through unscathed. The Sedum look great and the ornamental grasses are full and billowing. The burned and dry leaves begin the transition into our true Western climate Fall Season. The Summer drought stresses the plants so that many of the natives are already going dormant.
I will go out and get a few pictures in the morning.
With the hours of daylight becoming more precious by the day, Fall seems so strong in the air. I was out until I could not see the thorns on the rose as I removed the weedy vines from it's fragile branches, joined of coarse by an evening chorus of tickling mosquitoes and, a shame, it was just past nine o'clock. Not yet ready for Fall I will thoroughly enjoy the coming weeks of warm sun and burned gardens, Morning Glory and Mosquitoes because one of my favorite things about Seattle is it's entirety of Seasons. Every Season is so full you are ready for the next when it comes time. Now is the time of Summer. Fruit is ripening and faces are red. Warm skin, white wine and so many things to do sleep is just another thing on the list.